A Little Salt: Could my house be haunted?

Tuesday

Oct 29, 2013 at 9:30 AM

Courier-Post columnist wonders if his house could be haunted.

DANNY HENLEYdanny.henley@courierpost.com

At this time of year it’s hard not running down the TV dial, or going to the movie theater, without encountering a program or film that doesn’t have to do with the paranormal.Some TV shows are dedicated to the investigation of sites where things occur that defy explanation. Many times it seems like the team of investigators featured on the show finds absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. But on occasion things happen that leave me scratching my balding head, wondering what they encountered.Do I believe in ghosts?Admittedly, I’m a Missouri boy, born and bred. Consequently, as one from the “Show Me” state, I’m inclined to want to see, before I believe.On the flip side, however, I acknowledge there are any number of things that I simply must take on faith. I never shook the hand of Jesus, yet I believe he lived, died and rose again. And speaking of Jesus, I find it interesting that at least some of the people who did know him on a personal basis thought he was a ghost when he initially appeared to folks following his resurrection.The Bible teaches that when people see specters, they are not encountering the spirits of deceased people who for one reason or another did not “cross over” following their passing.So who are these apparitions? The Bible says they are not angels of God or the lingering spirits of dead people, but demons set out to deceive or scare the dickens out of the living.This brings me back to a point I made earlier – I don’t have to see, to believe. That’s especially true when the person who has “seen” with their own eyes is someone I trust.When my son, Jacob, was studying at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of the buildings in which he had to go for classes had an extensive reputation for paranormal activity. And while I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary during my tour of the structure, Jacob saw and heard enough with his own eyes and ears that he made a point of not working on projects there late at night when the activity typically reached its climax.While Jacob wouldn’t go into specifics regarding what he had seen, there are an assortment of indicators that could lead one to believe they are encountering something unworldly:Doors, cabinets and cupboards opening and closing on their own;Lights turning off and on on their own;Items disappearing and reappearing;Unexplained shadows;Strange animal behavior;Feelings of being touched;Cries and whispers;Cold or hot spots;Unexplained smells;Moving or levitating objects;Physical assault;Apparitions.One of the most common “signs” is unexplained noises such as footsteps; knocks, banging, rapping; scratching sounds; sounds of something being dropped. Sometimes these noises are subtle, but they can be quite loud.I must confess that there have been instances when I’ve been working in the basement that I’ve heard what sounds like someone walking on the floor above me. What especially makes it a bit creepy are the occasions when it happens and neither my wife, Nancy, or teen-ager daughter, Anna, are at home. In more than one instance I’ve gone upstairs to investigate and have found nothing amiss, which only adds to the mystery.There are likely reasonable explanations for what I’ve heard. It could just be the normal noises that an old house makes. Maybe I’m hearing traffic passing in front of my house or sounds from a nearby neighbor’s home.Still, when I occasionally hear something unidentified above my head, a small part of me wonders: Could my house be haunted?I’m not convinced enough to call Ghostbusters. Not yet, anyway.